R4STWH - Chapter 147

Chapter 147

“Stop talking nonsense. What do you mean by ‘last’?”

Since time was running out, I couldn't just wait for Zero to say he wanted to live. And if I thought about it, it was a phrase that didn't suit Zero at all. He was a guy who didn't value his life, to begin with. I took out the first Saintess's relic from my inventory with a grumpy expression, and Zero as well as Baeksa and Yumi were surprised and rushed toward me. “What, is that a soulstone? You had a spare one?!”

“No way. Unless we received that as a reward for clearing the final quest in our world.”

“Oh? Now that you mention it, my reward!”

Baeksa’s words suddenly reminded me. It seemed there were like 30 million seconds left until we could receive our rewards. I had just assumed that Elias had been my reward, but it turned out that that wasn't the case! I would have to ask Neo when I met him next. “What, you didn’t get your reward either? After all that you went through?”

I firmly pressed down Zero’s shoulder, who was angrily shouting. “Let's talk about that later. This isn't the time. You look like you’re on your last legs.” He looked so unstable, like his soul would pop out at any moment. “Are you trying to move his soul into that soulstone again?”

I nodded at Yumi’s question. “That’s the only way for now.”

“Just let him die, why bother wasting your time.” Yumi clicked her tongue, and Baeksa agreed. “Even if you save him, you'll just get tired.”

“……You two sure do agree on things like this.”

While replying in disbelief, Zero didn't deny what they said.

“Don't worry. If he causes trouble again, I'll just put him in a doll, or something.”

“Right. I'll pick out a doll for him. A really cool one, especially.” Zero frowned, looking at Yumi, who was smiling wickedly. Anyway, we were truly out of time, so we had to start preparing. As for my depleted mana, I didn't need to worry anymore. Because the reward for the final Proof of Qualification quest had been paid out just at the right time.

Stat restrictions have been permanently removed.

Strength: 300→815 Stamina: 300→753 Agility: 300→960 Spirit: +999

All trait penalties have been removed.

Thanks to the stat boost from defeating the Monarchs as well as the evil dragon, I was in the best condition I had been in for a long time. To safely move his soul, I dripped my blood on the palm of the body that Zero had taken over, as well as on the soulstone. While I was doing the preliminary steps, Yumi created a barrier around me and Zero, just in case. “Hayang-a, can I ask you just one thing?”

Just before I was about to activate the skill, Zero, who had been silent all along, opened his mouth. “Yeah?”

“Um… if, just if… I had taken you home and treated you well that day, would you have liked me as much as you like that guy?”

I stopped moving my hand at the unexpected question, and stared at him blankly. So, he was asking me how different my relationship with Zero would be if I had been brought inside and treated as a pair instead of being given a loaf of bread and having the door slammed in my face during our first meeting? “No matter what, I could never like you as much as Elias. My preference was, and still is, set.”

“You’re saying I’m uglier than that guy?!”

He had been whispering so that the others outside of the barrier wouldn’t hear, but now he was suddenly shouting. “Your eyes are so sharp and pointy, that you always look so mean. It's exactly like your personality.” I stretched the corners of my eyes out with my fingers, and his mouth dropped open. “I like kind people. Our Elias looks that way, from his face, right?”

“……What does having a kind face even mean, exactly.” He gave a hollow laugh with a listless expression, and I poked his forehead with my finger. “Don't think about it too much. No matter what happened, we became friends like this. Isn't that enough?”

“……”

He stared at me blankly as if he had lost the ability to speak, and then he suddenly burst out laughing. “What was I expecting from you?” After laughing for a while, that was all he had to say. Was he trying to pick a fight? I made a fist and shoved it in front of his face, and he finally stopped laughing. “The owner of this body has his eyes on you. Make sure to teach him a lesson if he makes a move on you.”

“You’re saying unnecessary things. I get it, so focus. Don't get distracted.” I glanced at him, as if I was about to look at something far away, and he nodded. “Okay.”

After injecting enough mana and confirming that the soulstone was resonating normally, I activated my skill.

'Skill name, Soul Transference.'

I felt Zero’s soul, which had been precariously clinging to Leonard’s body, being pulled into the soulstone. Judging from how smooth the process was, it seemed he had truly been on the brink.

‘If we had been just a bit slower, it would’ve been a disaster.’

Whoosh!

The soulstone, which had safely contained Zero’s soul, vibrated finely. Watching this, I could roughly guess what Zero’s quest failure penalty was.

‘Most of his abilities have been sealed.’

It wasn't comparable to a normal person, but the limit on how much power he could use in this world seemed to have been greatly reduced.

‘Then is the penalty Yumi received similar……?’

On the one hand, I was relieved, and on the other hand, I was saddened. It was true that it didn’t endanger their lives, but they had lost all the abilities they had worked so hard to build up over their lives in an instant. I watched the soulstone slowly stop vibrating, and then placed it into my inventory. He would fall into a deep sleep for a while, so I intended to let him rest without disturbing him.

After Zero's soul had left, Leonard's body slumped to the side.

‘Well, he’ll recover somehow.’

The owner of the empire had already been decided. Leonard would have to be satisfied with the title of Archduke from now on. To be honest, I didn’t want to let Leonard off so easily, since he had only used and deceived Elias while hiding the truth. But, he had been taken over by my comrade for quite a long time, so I decided to let it slide for now. If he did anything ridiculous again, then I would truly have to teach him a lesson.

I turned around, and Yumi, knowing that the soul transfer had ended safely, lifted the barrier. She looked exhausted, whereas she used to do things like that effortlessly. Baeksa, who was beside her, reflexively grabbed Yumi who was staggering slightly as if she felt dizzy. Instead of pushing him away immediately, he carefully looked at Yumi, holding both her arms. “You….”

Baeksa’s expression darkened as if he had noticed something. “Um… well, it turned out like this.” He stopped her as Yumi tried to straighten her body while smiling awkwardly. “Stay still. Unless you want to end up face first in the dirt.”

“……Okay, then I’ll rely on you.” Yumi leaned on him comfortably, looking at Baeksa’s face. She seemed to be in a good mood… Or was it just my imagination? Anyway, it didn’t seem like a situation where I had to worry and interfere. The Saintess was nowhere to be seen, having been buried amongst the people of the church who were celebrating their victory over the catastrophe. “Ilesha.”

Elias, who had come to my side after the barrier was removed, gently embraced my shoulder. “Are you okay?” It was a question that had many underlying meanings. “Yeah, of course.”

There had been a fair number of deaths, and Zero, who had been our comrade, had also returned to being a soulstone…. But it was still better than the worst-case scenario I had imagined. Unlike our world, which would have remained as a ruin with only me left after our victory, this world had a lot more remaining. “Okay.” He swept his gaze around, following my own, and whispered. “Then, shall we return now?”

If I thought about it, it hadn’t been that long, but it somehow felt like we had been away for a long time. I should be bursting with energy and livelier than ever, but why did I feel so tired? I had a strong desire to just relax and sleep for days and days without thinking about anything. “Great!”

Thankfully, I had a home to return to now. Not some place among piles of trash, a narrow cage, or a dark, damp cave, but a real home where I could relax comfortably. A soft bed, a blanket that smelled like sunshine, and sweet snacks within reach at all times. And a warm and wide embrace that would hold me. Just thinking about it made my heart swell with happiness. “Let’s go home, to our home.”

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